NAT. ORDER. CARYOPHYLLACEiE. 133 



world, chiefly as an ornament to the flower-garden. It has been 

 known to grow wild in several parts of our country, on old walls and 

 in the crevices of rocks ; but the flowers which are pharmaceutically 

 employed are usually produced in gardens, where they become ex- 

 tremely luxuriant, and by the various arts of culture those beautiful 

 varieties have been produced which are so highly esteemed under the 

 name of carnations. 



Medical Properties and Uses. The flowers of the Clove Pink, 

 which is the part directed for medical use, has an agreeable, pleasant, 

 aromatic smell, somewhat allied to that of clove spice ; their taste is 

 slightly bitter and subastringent. It can be safely employed in the 

 treatment of dropsies, as it possesses considerable diaphoretic and diu- 

 retic properties. Rectified spirits digested on the flowers receives a 

 much paler tincture than watery liquors, but extracts the whole of 

 their active properties. In the process of distillation or evajjoration 

 spirit elevates much less than water ; the spirituous extract retaining a 

 considerable portion of the fine smell of the flowers as well as their 

 taste, and the color purplish like that of the watery extract. In for- 

 mer times the flowers of this plant were supposed to have considerable 

 effect upon the nervous system, and were therefore recommended in 

 headache, faintings, palpitations of the heart, convulsions, tremors, &c., 

 and were employed to a considerable extent in the treatment of ma- 

 lignant and putrid fevers. At present, however, they are valued 

 mostly for their sensible qualities, and the syruj)us caryoj)hylli rubri, 

 which is the only officinal preparation admitted into either the London 

 or the United States Pharmacopoeia. But its fine color and pleasant 

 flavor renders it a very useful article in the prepaiation of other me- 

 dicines. 



